Lubrication of fluid-pressure motors



June 24, 1930 A. H. FUNK LUBRICATION OF FLUID PRESSURE MOTORS Filed April 8. 1926 IN VE N TOR ALBERTHFU/WY BY ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 FF'ICE ALBERT I-I. FUNK, OF GLEVEJLIAlfl'ID, OHIO, ASS IGNOR TO CHICAGO PNEUMATIC TOOL COMIfANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEV] JERSEY LUBRICATION OF FLUIDeIRESSUR-E MOTORS Application filed Apri18, 1926.

This invention relates to fluid pressure motors and more specifically to apparatus for insuring proper lubricating of the same. It has special application to motors having radially disposed cylinders which rotate around a fixed axis, but is by no means confined to such use.

Rotary motors of the described type cannot be lubricated after the usual manner by 10, lubricant in the crank case since centrifugal force operates to keep the lubricant away from the very parts which require it. It has also been found by experiment as well as experience that the continuous admission of i5 lubricant into the motive fluid stream passing to the motor tends to produce an excess of lubricant in the motor with the attendant disadvantages of such a condition, especially when the motor is operated intermittent for so short periods of running as in hoisting and similar work.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide adequate lubrication for a motor which is operated intermittently for short periods, to provide positively operated means automatically controlled for such purpose, and in general to improve prior arrange ments in the interest of more eflicient and satisfactory service.

The invention comprises suitable means positively operated to inject a charge of lubricant into the motive fluid stream. To this end a plunger is actuated by fluid pressure to force a measured or predetermined quantity of lubricant into the motive fluid inlet at the proper instant to be carried along by the fluid into the motor. By preference the lubricant injecting. means is operated only when the motor is being put under load and not when the motor is running light or idling.

In order to illustrate the invention one concrete embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view through a pneumatic hoist.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

, Fig.3, is a sectional "view substantiallyon the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 100,508.

.to Fig. 5, showing the throttle valve in clifferent positions.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration consists of a fluid pressure or pneumatic hoist adapted for manual control. Only such parts of the hoist as will illustrate the invention are shown. In Fig. 1, A is the motor casting enclosing the fluid pressure motor B. White the motor B may be of any suitable or desired type, the one illustrated has radially disposed cylinders arranged to rotatearound a fixed axis and conforms in general to the motor disclosed in Haesler Patent No. 638,- 4a9, issued September 19th, 1899, for rotary engine. Inasmuch as the motor itself forms no part of the presentv invention, further description thereofis omitted. Y

Secured to the motor casing A is a casting O (Figs. 1 and 2) having a chamber 8 arranged to contain lubricant for motor B and bores 9 and 10 therethrough for the supply and exhaust of the pressure fluid for the motor. Clamped against the casting C in a rigid fluid tight manner is a cylindrical memi her or valve post 11 having spaced bores 9 and 10 arranged to register with passages 9 and 10 of casting C and terminating in transverse ports 9 and 10 (Fig. 3') in a tapered portion 11 'of postll. The outer end of post 11 has a. motive fluid supply passage-12 terminating in a cross bore 12 with ports disposed in axially spaced relation with ports 9 and 10 but within the tapered Sleevedover tapered portion 11 of post 11. portion Ill. is a control valve or throttle 13 arranged to control motor B and retained in place by spring 1 1 backed by a coupling nut 15. Throttle 13 has axially directed,

parallelly disposed chambers 13 13 sep- 'valve 23.

13 (Figs. 17) extends from partition 13 across chamber 13 closely adjacent post 11 with a groove 13 on the inner face of the rib communicating with vent 13, for a purpose later to be described. The throttle also has two vent ports 16 (Figs. 1 and 3) in the plane of ports 9" and 10 Throttle 13 is normally maintained in the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, through the action of a spring 17, the ends of which hook under diverging operating arms 18 (Fig. 3) secured to throttle 13 and by which the latter is rotated or rocked upon valve post 11. hen the valve is in its normal position (Figs. 3 and the motor B is at rest. Upon rotating the throttle 13 to the position shown in Fig. 6, motor B is driven to raise its load, chamber 13 operating to connect port with port 12 on that side, port 9 meanwhile being connected to atmosphere through one of the vent ports 16. hen the throttle is moved in the opposite direction to the position shown in Fig. 7, motor B is reversed to lower its load, chamber 13 operating to connect port 9 with live air port 12 on that side while port 10 is connected to one of the exhaust ports 16.

Attention will now be given to the lubricating arrangementwith which the present invention is particularly concerned. Suitable means operated by fluid pressure are provided for injecting into the motive fluid supply to motor B a charge of lubricant from reservoir 8. The preferred means for this purpose injects a measured or predetermined charge of lubricant thereby to insure proper operation of the motor. To this end a threaded opening 20 (Fig. 2) is provided between reservoir 8 and passage 10 which supplies the motor fluid to motor B when the latter is under load and hence in greatest need of lubrication. Secured in opening 20 is a cylinder 21 having a discharge opening 22 provided with a check In spaced relation to outlet 22 is a radial inlet port 24, the position of these ports determining the metering chamber for the lubrication charge. Arranged for reciprocatory movement within cylinder 21 for the purpose of ejecting the lubricant charge is a plunger 25. Plunger 25 is secured to a piston 26 operating in a cylindrical portion 8 of the casting C, a coiled spring 27 being arranged to encircle piston 26 and enclose cylinder 21 for the purpose of yieldingly retaining piston 26 in its uppermost position. Piston 26 may carry a suitable packing 26 and the top of the cylinder 8 is sealed with a suitable cap 8 Pressure fluid is admitted above piston 26 for the purpose of driving the latter and its plunger 25 downwardly against spring 27 to force the charge of lubricant into passage 10. To this end a connection or passage 28 extends from the top of cylinder 8 through the walls of casting C connecting with a registering passage 28 in valve post 11 and terminating in a radial port 28 ranged to register with vent 13 in the normal position of throttle 13 (Figs. 1 and 5). Thus the operation of the oiling device is under control of throttle 13.

The operation of the lubricating device is as follows. With valve 13 in its normal position the ejecting plunger 25 of the lubricating device is in the position shown in Fig. 1. When the throttle 13 is rotated clockwise to operate the hoist under load, the instant that chamber 13 of the throttle registers with live air port 12 the chamber is filled with motive fluid, some of which passed through the port 13 in partition 13 into chamber 13 where it has immediate access to port 28 through the undercutting of partition 13 at 13 (Figs. 47). Thus motive fluid passes through passage 28 and operates plunger 25 to inject a measured charge of lubricant into passage 10 by the time that pressure fluid in full volume is admitted to the same from chamber 13 of the throttle so that the lubricant is carried into the motor when the latter is doing its heaviest work. It is to be noted that but one charge of lubricant is ejected, plunger 25 being retained in its lowermost position so long as the throttle is held in the position shown in Fig. 6. On movement of the throttle to its original or normal position (Fig. 5) passage 28 is immediately vented through port 13 and the plunger 25 returns to the position shown in Fig. 1.. When the throttle is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as to the position shown in Fig. 7 to operate motor B reversely' to lower the load, the lubricating device continues to remain inoperative due to groove 13 which maintains port 28 connected to vent port 13 From the above it will be apparent that the present invention provides positive means for feeding lubricant to a fluid pressure motor, that the feeding of the lubricant is so timed and arranged as to insure its reaching the motor and all parts requiring lubricant at the time when it is most needed, that flooding of the motor with lubricant is avoided and that the lubricatin apparatus is simple and cheap to manuflacture and adaptable to old machines at slight expense.

Nhile but one form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the specific details thereof but includes all changes, combinations and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a fluid pressure motor, a fluid pressure device associated therewith for lubricating said motor and having resilient means for opposing its operation, a throttle valve for controlling said motor, and a connection from said valve to said device, said valve having means directing motive fluid to said connection when said valve is moved in one direction and providing a vent for said connection in all other positions thereof.

2. In combination, a reversible fluid pressure motor, a fluid pressure device associated therewith for lubricating said motor and having resilient means for opposing its operation, a throttle valve for controlling said motor, and a connection from said valve to said device, said valve having means for ad initting motive fluid to said connection when said motor is operated in one direction and providing a vent for said connection when the motor is operated in the reverse direction.

3. In combination, a reversible fluid pressure motor, a fluid pressure device associated therewith for lubricating said motor and having resilient means for opposing its operation, a throttle valve for controlling said motor, and a connection from said valve to said device, said valve having means providing a vent for said connection in all positions of said valve eflecting non-operation of said motor or its operation in one direction but directing motive fluid thereto immediately the motor is operated in the other direction.

4. In combination, a fluid pressure motor, a lubricating device for said motor arranged to be actuatedby fluid pressure and having a spring for returning it after actuation, a member having connections leading to said motor and a connection to said device, a valve associated with said member for controlling said motor and said device, said valve providing a vent for said device connection, and means disconnecting said vent and directing motive fluid to said device connection immediately on movement of said valve to admit motive fluid to the motor to drive it in one direction.

5. In combination, a fluid pressure motor, a lubricating device for said motor arranged to be actuated by fluid pressure and having resilient means for yieldingly resisting its actuation, a member having connections leading to said motor and a connection to said device, a valve associated with said member for controlling said motor and said device, said valve having spaced axially directed chambers and a partition between the same, said device connection terminating adjacent said partition, said partition hav ing a vent port connecting with said device passage in the normal position of said valve, said partition being undercut at one side to establish quick connection of said passage with one of said chambers on movement of the valve in one direction.

6. In combination, a reversible fluid pressure motor, a lubricating device actuated by fluid pressure and having resilient means for yieldingly resisting its actuation, a post having ports and passages leading to said motor and a single port and passage leading to said device, a valve of the sleeve type rockably mounted on said post to control said motor and said device, said valve having spaced axially directed chambers and a partition therebetween, a rib extending from said partition across one of said chambers adjacent said post, said valve having a vent port in said partition adapted to register with said device port and a groove in said rib connected to said vent whereby said device port is maintained in communication with said vent when said valve is rocked in one direction.

7 In combination, a reversible fluid pressure motor, a lubricating device actuated by fluid pressure and having resilient means for yieldingly resisting its actuation, a post having ports and passages leading to said motor and a single port and passage leading to said device, a valve of the sleeve type rockably mounted on said post 'to control said motor and said device, said valve having spaced interconnected axially directed chambers and a partition therebetween, said partition having a vent adapted to register with said device port and being cut away so as to establish prompt connection between said port and one of said chambers on rocking movement of said valve in one direction.

,8. In combination, a reversible fluid pressure motor, a lubricating device actuated by fluid pressure and having resilient means for yieldingly resisting its actuation, a post having ports and passages leading to said motor, and a single port and passage leading to said device, a valve of the sleeve type rockably mounted on said post to control said motor and said device, said valve having spaced interconnected axially directed chambers and a partition therebetween, said partition having a vent adapted to register with said device port and being cut away so as to establish prompt connection between said port and one of said chambers on rocking movement of said valve in one direction, a rib extending from said partition across the other of said chambers and having a groove communicating with said vent whereby said port is maintained in communication with said vent when said valve is rocked in the opposite direction.

Signed at Cleveland, Ohio, this 31 day of March, 1926.

ALBERT H. FUNK. 

